MPs to get full-time cars, duty-free privilege goes
Thursday, 10 December 2009
The government has decided to provide full-time cars for the Members of Parliament, scrapping their previous privilege of duty-free import of cars that had created many controversies, reports UNB.
Official sources said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recently gave her approval to a proposal for giving cars to the 345 MPs of the present parliament.
The MPs of the 9th Parliament from the very beginning have demanded of the government to allow them to import duty-free cars.
But the government took time to say anything on this matter as the authorities were weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the matter very carefully.
After several months of examining, the government has decided to provide official cars for the lawmakers.
Recently, the Establishment Ministry got a letter from the authority concerned for arranging cars for them.
Before 2007, the MPs were allowed to import duty-free cars. But there were widespread allegations that many MPs sold their imported high-end cars and used ordinary ones instead.
In June 2007, the then caretaker government rescinded the provision for the special privilege provided under the Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Allowances) Order 1973.
But the ordinance was not ratified by parliament, resulting in the reinstatement of the previous provision of the law under which an MP is entitled to import free from customs duty, sales tax, development surcharge and import-permit fee during the whole term in office, one car or jeep of such specification, and on such conditions as the government may specify.
Official sources said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recently gave her approval to a proposal for giving cars to the 345 MPs of the present parliament.
The MPs of the 9th Parliament from the very beginning have demanded of the government to allow them to import duty-free cars.
But the government took time to say anything on this matter as the authorities were weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the matter very carefully.
After several months of examining, the government has decided to provide official cars for the lawmakers.
Recently, the Establishment Ministry got a letter from the authority concerned for arranging cars for them.
Before 2007, the MPs were allowed to import duty-free cars. But there were widespread allegations that many MPs sold their imported high-end cars and used ordinary ones instead.
In June 2007, the then caretaker government rescinded the provision for the special privilege provided under the Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Allowances) Order 1973.
But the ordinance was not ratified by parliament, resulting in the reinstatement of the previous provision of the law under which an MP is entitled to import free from customs duty, sales tax, development surcharge and import-permit fee during the whole term in office, one car or jeep of such specification, and on such conditions as the government may specify.